Chapter 94: Complete Family Execution |
Young Master Wang had been captured.
Everything was resolved.
In truth, the moment Xinyue cut down Wang Shen, Song Shi'an's grand plan had already succeeded.
After years of oppressive rule in Wulei, the only person who commanded loyalty—or rather, the only one who could issue orders and inspire fear among the citizens—was Wang Shen alone.
This was why when Young Master Wang's father died, he showed not a shred of grief, his mind filled only with thoughts of replacing his old man.
Because Wang Shen's life had been far too damn comfortable.
The pleasures his father enjoyed, he simply couldn't experience.
With Old Wang dead, Young Wang naturally became nothing more than a piece of deer dick.
As for the rest, no one wanted to be labeled as rebel forces.
"Yes!" The steward's mind worked incredibly fast, instantly switching to Song Shi'an's side.
The militiaman who had ridden over to report was shocked into immobility, his horse's legs trembling uncertainly. Only when Song Shi'an gave him an order as well—"Go, open the city gates!"—did he respond.
"Yes!"
Having received his orders, the man now had direction.
He wheeled his horse around and galloped out through the corridor.
Wulei was different from some cities; its area was quite small overall. If it reached the scale of an official courier station like Jimingyi, it would already be considered an especially large fortress.
This one was about half the size of Jimingyi, covering just over a hundred thousand square meters.
From here to the city gate was only three hundred meters.
Even with the narrow, winding central road, the warhorse's gallop took just half a minute to reach the gate.
"Open the gate!" the cavalryman shouted.
The entire fortress of Wulei counted as their own people. And as a messenger cavalryman, he held relatively high status within this clan bandit's forces. Therefore, his orders represented Young Master Wang's orders.
The city gate was quickly opened.
Seeing the gate open, all the cavalrymen bearing Wei character flags rushed in together.
"They're coming in? What do we do!" someone asked.
"Everyone down from the walls, don't shoot arrows, don't draw swords, wait for the cavalry to enter the city!"
With the order issued, combat readiness was instantly lifted.
The two hundred light cavalry immediately poured in, their hooves striking the ground with thunderous cracks. All the people in the city hid inside their houses, completely unlike their treatment of Song Shi'an and Xinyue earlier—they no longer had any courage to breathe a word of defiance.
"Why did they let all these soldiers in?"
"Was it Young Master Wang's intention?"
"It could only be Young Master Wang's intention, otherwise who would dare to do this..."
The people in the city were in a state of panic, everyone filled with fear.
Their future was full of uncertainty.
"Laoye!"
A dozen cavalrymen charged into the corridor outside the great hall, dismounted, and met up with Song Shi'an.
"Go arrest everyone in Wang Shen's family," Song Shi'an ordered, then looked at the steward who was righteously holding down Young Master Wang, and added casually, "He'll lead you there. Remember, don't let a single one slip through."
"Yes, absolutely not a single one will escape!"
The steward answered emphatically.
If he was leading the way, he would certainly do it perfectly.
After all, collaborators feared retaliation more than anyone.
Of course, he would definitely expand the scope of the arrests, using this opportunity to eliminate not only Wang Shen's relatives but also people he personally disliked.
The two devils were far more hateful than the devils themselves.
But it didn't matter.
This city now belonged to him.
"You two stay here. The rest of you, notify our remaining brothers to replace every post that needs manning with our people."
After Song Shi'an made his final arrangements, only he and Xinyue remained in the great hall.
Along with two Wei character battalion cavalrymen guarding the entrance.
"You're truly remarkable."
Looking at Xinyue beside him, he revealed an admiring smile.
Young Master Wang's blood had blossomed into crimson flowers on her face. Her light pink formal dress had been irregularly dyed, turning deep red. She looked like a demon from purgatory—grotesque yet magnificent.
The beautiful and captivating Xinyue.
"I merely did the simplest killing," Xinyue replied.
She lifted one side of her dress hem, unwound the bandages tied to her leg, then sheathed her bamboo blade back into its bamboo scabbard.
"No, you're truly remarkable. Having you here puts my mind at ease."
How did Song Shi'an feel that her potential went far beyond just this?
"Thank you."
Because of his continued flattery, Xinyue rarely felt somewhat unnatural, and thus changed the subject: "What's next?"
"Next, we'll properly carry out the complete execution of the Wang family," Song Shi'an said.
The combination of "properly" and "complete family execution" in the same sentence made Xinyue keenly aware of certain psychologically disturbed aspects of this man's personality...
"And after that, we'll package up Wang Shen's head and send it to His Highness."
Little Wei, the rest is up to you now.
.........
"Your Highness! This is from Lord Song!"
In Shuofeng City, a cavalryman brought a hemp cloth package dyed deep black before Wei Wusheng.
Seeing this, Wei Wusheng finally breathed a complete sigh of relief and relaxed.
"Shi'an has done it."
The greatest clan bandit had been taken down so effortlessly.
At the very least, this saved nearly a thousand lives.
Easily gaining control of a small fortress.
"Open it." Despite his physical revulsion, Wei Wusheng spoke to the package before him.
So the soldier before him unwrapped the hemp cloth bag.
Like this, he held the bottom with both hands and raised the 'head' to display it to Wei Wusheng.
Frowning, Wei Wusheng revealed an expression of extreme disgust and nausea: "So ugly."
"Rebels are all this ugly," Zheng Tong agreed with a laugh.
"Rebels all deserve to die," Wei Wusheng said with loathing.
"Your Highness, with Young Lord Song having achieved such great merit, if we use this momentum to threaten the other clan bandits, it shouldn't be a problem!" Zheng Tong said with considerable excitement. "Truly so brave—who could have imagined that this fortress was taken in half a day through assassination?"
These fortress masters dared to act brazenly purely because they had solid fortifications.
Combined together, they still had tens of thousands of common people.
But Wei Wusheng didn't have enough energy to pull out each one individually.
Therefore, he could only kill the biggest and most evil one among them, using this to intimidate the rest—those smaller evils.
If the battle had been too brutal, taking ten days or half a month and costing some troops, the rest wouldn't surrender—before Ji Yuan arrives, go ahead and try killing us all if you dare.
But now it was different.
Taken in half a day. If you dare resist, you're fucking done for!
"Next, we take down those followers."
Wei Wusheng looked at this human head with an imposing air.
.........
Outside Shuofeng City, at a manor in the county outskirts.
Although the entire Northern Liang was a valley and the most productive grain region in all of Liang Prefecture, this didn't mean it was completely flat with no mountains at all.
There just weren't those massive mountain ranges that split the earth.
This manor sat on the mountainside of a short mountain. The scenery was pleasant, and from this angle, one could even see the endlessly flowing Chishui River not far below at the mountain's base.
On the open ground outside the courtyard, eleven representatives of wealthy bandits gathered together, each person's face inscribed with trepidation.
Because there was no banquet here.
What there was instead were several dozen soldiers holding weapons.
Since arriving, they hadn't seen the Sixth Prince at all, just being detained here like this.
Could it be that this gathering was specifically set up to kill them?
How's that possible!
Would a bunch of servants like us warrant that!
Or perhaps they want to use us to blackmail our masters for grain?
But again—we're not worth that much!
Just as everyone was quite puzzled and uneasy about being brought out together at this moment, suddenly a soldier loudly announced: "The Sixth Prince arrives—"
Hearing this voice, everyone looked to one side. Then, seeing that person dressed in armor with an obviously supremely noble bearing, they knelt down in unison, prostrating themselves.
"We pay our respects to the Sixth Prince!"
Everyone spoke as one.
Wei Wusheng walked past them, and after reaching the very front, he casually placed his hand on his sword hilt and spoke offhandedly: "Rise."
"Thank Your Highness."
Everyone slowly stood up, then all kept their heads lowered, not daring to look directly at this prince.
Even for Wusheng, for these servants of powerful families, he was a deity who demanded absolute reverence.
"Which one is Xu Ji?" Wei Wusheng asked.
Hearing this, a young man of about twenty-something stepped forward, stammering in reply: "In response to Your Highness, this humble one is Xu Ji."
"What position do you currently hold?" Wei Wusheng asked.
"In response to Your Highness, this one holds no office," Xu Ji said, then quietly added, "I only passed the xiucai examination last year."
"Then you are now the County Magistrate of Qi County," Wei Wusheng decided.
Hearing this, he looked up in shock, barely able to believe it. But instinctively, he immediately knelt down to express thanks, exclaiming with wild joy: "Thank Your Highness, thank Your Highness!"
For a xiucai to directly ascend to the position of County Magistrate at the eighth rank, becoming the second-in-command over tens of thousands of people in a county—what an incredible leap!
The others were also surprised.
But after a moment's thought, everyone understood the reason.
The Sixth Prince had requested that each major clan bandit send someone who could speak with authority. The others had basically sent stewards, and not even the kind of great stewards who were family vassals. Only the Xu family had sent their second son.
Naturally, he received the Sixth Prince's reward.
"This prince is very busy, so I'll make this brief."
After Wei Wusheng spoke, several people brought over two men in common clothes under guard.
Everyone studied them, and some felt they looked familiar.
"Isn't that Young Master Wang's servant?"
Ordinary servants wouldn't be recognized, but this was the type who specifically delivered messages. After several exchanges between the major families, they'd become familiar faces.
"These two are Wang Shen's men who passed messages to Ji Yuan for him."
As soon as Wei Wusheng said this, everyone's faces turned deathly pale.
This was the crime of collaborating with the enemy that would result in the extermination of nine generations!
Some among them trembled with fear because their own masters had also contacted Ji Yuan.
"This is the letter he wrote to Ji Yuan."
Wei Wusheng casually tossed it at someone's feet: "Pass it around and look. Anyone who knows Wang Shen's handwriting, come confirm whether this is his."
These people gathered together to look at the letter.
The more each person read, the more frightened they became.
The more they read, the more they felt they were doomed.
"Is this Wang Shen's?" Wei Wusheng asked casually.
"It... it is," one person nodded. "This is Young Master Wang's... no, this is Wang Shen's handwriting!"
"If you recognize the handwriting, you must recognize the person."
As Wei Wusheng finished speaking, someone presented the severed head on a wooden platter.
"...Yes, it's Wang Shen!"
"He's dead? Dead?!"
"This, this, this... this is him!"
"Just a few days ago he was still alive..."
These representatives of the wealthy bandits were completely dumbfounded.
A perfectly fine living person—how did his head end up here?
"He wanted to become an official under Ji Yuan."
Wei Wusheng gave a cold laugh, then suddenly raised his voice: "Do your masters also want to become officials under Ji Yuan?"
At this question, all of them knelt on the ground, trembling. Several had their legs go into spasms on the spot.
"Lift your heads," Wei Wusheng ordered.
Everyone slowly raised their heads.
Then they saw a brazier being moved over. At the same time, someone carried over a large pile of letter tubes.
One person even recognized that one letter was written by himself on his master's behalf!
His heart pounded violently, as if in an earthquake, his terror reaching its peak.
"Not only did Wang Shen write letters to Ji Yuan, others wrote them too. And most of what I intercepted together were letters from Ji Yuan to your masters. But I didn't read a single one."
Wei Wusheng looked at the crowd with contempt, saying coldly: "This time Wang Shen dared to ignore me, so I read his letter. And killed everyone in his family too. Conquering the entire fortress of Wulei took less than half a day."
Half a day to break through?
Young Master Wang's fortress had at least three thousand people in it!
How could it fall so quickly!
"With a great enemy at hand, it's normal for you all to have concerns. But when my order arrives and you dare disobey, I will definitely kill him."
Wei Wusheng's tone seemed to carry frost, making everyone tremble.
"I haven't read these letters, and I won't read them." Wei Wusheng waved his hand. "Burn them."
Then the letter tubes were all thrown into the fire together.
All the representatives of the powerful families wept profusely on the spot, kowtowing repeatedly, grateful for the Sixth Prince's great mercy.
Who was clean?
No one was clean.
As long as those in power didn't care about your dirtiness, that was enough!
"After you return, relay everything that happened today in full to your masters. Then I will dispatch military forces to take over all the fortresses," Wei Wusheng ordered. "If there's any resistance whatsoever, none will be spared."
"Yes!" Everyone could only agree at this point.
If they didn't agree, they'd die right now.
But such agreement was only an expedient measure.
Wei Wusheng was very clear that these people's sense of security was lacking.
Even though he had burned all these letters, they might not necessarily believe that he wouldn't retaliate afterward.
Without their fortresses and without troops, they would be lambs awaiting slaughter.
So what would happen?
They'd flee north.
More than twenty thousand people, plus large quantities of grain—if delivered into Ji Yuan's hands, that would also be no small trouble.
Therefore, he needed to combine both kindness and severity.
"After taking custody of the fortresses, your wealth won't be touched, but the grain will be requisitioned, and I will transfer you all to a safe place."
Speaking thus, Wei Wusheng pointed toward the Chishui River below the mountain.
Everyone looked toward it together.
"This prince's word is worth a thousand gold. But this prince is willing to swear by the Chishui River."
Wei Wusheng's gaze was resolute as he spoke solemnly: "If Shuofeng is defeated, I will allocate equivalent fertile fields in Southern Liang to return to the powerful families. If Shuofeng is victorious, all the land the powerful families have there, not an inch less, will still belong to the powerful families."